JPH0473099A - Cordless steam iron - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply and surely open and close a water feed path without using an electric driving source by providing a first ball valve urged to a direction opposite to a water feed direction in a main body of an iron and providing a second ball valve urged to the same direction as the water feed direction and a ball valve opening and closing member in an iron stand side. CONSTITUTION:When a main body 5 of an iron is placed on an iron stand 6, a water filling port 8 presses a ball valve opening and closing member 17 and a second ball valve 15 so that a clearance is formed between a water feed block 13 and the second ball valve 15 and a water feed path of an iron stand side is opened. Under this state, when water feed is started, a first ball valve 11 at the side of the main body 5 of the iron is also pressed because of hydraulic pressure, so that the water feed path is completely opened to feed water to the main body 5 of the iron. When the main body 5 of the iron is removed for the iron stand 6, there is no force for pressing the ball valve opening and closing member 17 backward, so that the water feed path of the ball valve opening closing member 17 is closed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a cordless steam iron used in general households.

Conventional technology Conventional cordless steam irons have a cassette-type water tank attached to the iron body, just like regular corded steam irons, and when the iron body is placed on the iron stand, only the power is supplied and the heater is turned on. There was no iron with a heating structure that had an automatic water supply mechanism that automatically supplied water to the iron itself.

On the other hand, some automatic water supply mechanisms for corded irons have been put into practical use as commercial irons. This type of iron is used by professional companies such as dry cleaners when ironing a large amount of iron for a long time.
As shown in Fig. 8, a thick hose 3 for water supply is connected to the iron body 1 along with a power cord 2, and is connected to a large water tank 4 equipped with a water supply drive unit such as a pump installed at a remote location. It is common to have a similar structure.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, although irons with a structure like the above-mentioned cordless steam iron do not have a cord, which improves the usability of the iron, the capacity of the water tank is limited, making ironing difficult. During the process, it was necessary to remove the water tank and supply additional water several times, which greatly reduced the efficiency of the ironing process.゛Also, in the case of a commercial iron with an automatic water supply mechanism, although it improves work efficiency in that it does not require additional water supply to the water tank, it does not require a long cord and a thick water supply hose connected to the iron body. This made it extremely difficult to use when ironing.

Furthermore, since this commercial iron is intended to be used continuously by professionals for long periods of time, it is extremely difficult to attach and remove the connection between the water tank or the iron itself and the water supply hose. .

Therefore, the present invention has developed a cordless steam iron that allows the water supply path to be connected and disconnected extremely easily without being particularly conscious during ironing work, and furthermore, when the water supply path is removed, the water supply path is closed and water does not leak. The primary purpose is to provide the following.

The second object is to provide a cordless steam iron that can make water connection more stable and reliable.

The third object is to provide a cordless steam iron that enhances the sealing effect of the waterway connection part and prevents water leakage during water supply.

A fourth object is to provide a cordless steam iron which prevents a small amount of water collected on the iron stand side from spilling out to the outside of the iron stand when the iron body is removed from the iron stand.

The fifth purpose is to forcibly drain water in the opposite direction of the water supply in order to prevent a small amount of water from spilling out of the iron stand at the water supply connection on the iron stand side when the iron body is removed from the iron stand. Our goal is to provide you with a cordless steam iron.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object, the present invention comprises an iron body and an iron stand that has a built-in water supply drive unit for the iron body and is used as a stand for the iron body. , a water inlet and a first ball valve biased by a first spring in a direction opposite to the water supply direction are provided on the iron body side of the waterway connecting portion of both, and a water supply passage block on the iron stand side; A second ball valve biased by a second spring is provided in the same direction as the water supply direction,
Further, a ball valve opening/closing body is provided in the water supply passage block located between the first and second ball valves, and the ball valve opening/closing body is capable of sliding back and forth by a predetermined distance along the water supply path. When the iron main body is removed from the iron stand, it can be slid in the same direction as the water supply direction through the second ball valve by the biasing force of the second spring or water pressure, and the water supply channel can be closed. When the main body is placed on the iron stand, the iron main body slides a predetermined distance in the opposite direction to the water supply direction by the weight of the iron main body or the force of the operator placing the iron main body on the iron stand, thereby opening the second ball valve. It is configured so that it can be done.

In order to achieve the second object, the present invention is capable of freely sliding back and forth along the water supply path inside the ball valve opening/closing body, and when water is supplied, the first ball valve is pushed forward by water pressure. It has a structure with a sliding body to assist in opening it easily.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the third object, the present invention provides a ring body made of an elastic material at a portion of the ball valve opening/closing body that contacts the water inlet of the iron body.

In addition, in order to achieve the fourth object, the present invention provides a water supply passage block inner wall on which a ball valve opening/closing body slides, and only when the iron body is placed on an iron stand, from a position blocked by the outer wall of the ball valve opening/closing body. , a drainage passage led to the outside of the water supply passage block is provided.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the fifth object, the present invention provides a water drain mechanism in the water supply drive section of the iron stand.

Function The waterway connection structure of the cordless steam iron of the present invention is as follows. With a configuration that includes a second spring and a ball valve, and a ball valve opening/closing body located between them, the iron body can be moved to the iron body when the iron body is temporarily placed on the iron stand during ironing. This is an automatic water supply mechanism that supplies water for steam, and can connect and disconnect the water supply path extremely easily and reliably without using an electric drive source.

Moreover, by providing a sliding body in the present invention, this sliding body is pushed by the water pressure during water supply, and can assist in pushing the first ball valve and opening it easily.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a ring body made of an elastic material at the part of the ball valve opening/closing body that contacts the water inlet of the iron body, thereby providing a sealing effect and preventing water from leaking to the outside.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a drainage passage in the water supply passage block, so that when the iron body is placed on the iron stand, this drainage passage is blocked by the ball valve opening/closing body, but when the iron body is removed from the iron stand. When the ball valve opening/closing body moves, the drainage passage opens, and a small amount of water that has accumulated downstream of the second ball valve at the water supply connection on the iron stand side is drained through this drainage passage. .

Furthermore, the present invention provides a drainage mechanism in the water supply drive section of the ironing stand, so that when the iron body is removed from the ironing stand, the water supply is stopped and the direction of water flow is reversed by operating the drainage mechanism instead. The second ball valve is temporarily opened by water pressure to forcibly drain the water in the water connection path of the ironing stand.

Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a first embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 3. In the figure, 5 is the iron body, 5a is its rear wall surface, 6 is an iron stand with a built-in water supply drive unit 6b such as a pump, and a water tank 6C, and 6a is the placement part on which the iron body 5 is placed. ing. 7 is a small water tank provided in the iron main body 5; 8 is a water inlet disposed on a part of the rear wall surface 5a; 9 is a water inlet connection nozzle connected to the water inlet 8; Water supplied from the water inlet 8 is sent to the small water tank 7 through the connection hose 10 via the water inlet connection nozzle 9.

11 is a first ball valve, and 12 is a first spring, one end of which is supported by the water inlet connection nozzle 9.

The first ball valve 11 is biased by the first spring 12 in a direction opposite to the water supply direction (indicated by the dotted line arrow in the figure), engages with the inner wall of the water inlet 8, and flows from the iron body 5 to the outside. This prevents water from leaking.

A water supply passage block 13 is connected to the mounting surface 6a, and a water supply connection nozzle 14 is connected to the upstream end in the water supply direction. Water sent from the water tank 6C by the water supply drive section 6b passes through a water supply hose (not shown) and is sent to the water supply passage block 13 via the water supply connection nozzle 14.

15 is a second ball valve provided in the water supply passage block 13, and 16 is a second spring, one end of which is supported by the water supply connection nozzle 14. Second ball valve 15
is urged in the water supply direction by the second spring 16.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a ball valve opening/closing body disposed between the first and second ball valves 11.15, which is connected to the water supply passage block 1.
It is designed to be able to slide a predetermined distance back and forth along the inner wall of 3. 17a is a second ball valve holding pin that constitutes a part of the ball valve opening/closing body 17, and by pushing the second ball valve 15, the water supply path can be opened. Further, 17b is a water supply passage opening, and the supplied water is sent out through this water supply passage opening 17b in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. When the iron body 5 is removed from the iron stand 6 as shown in Fig. 1(a), the second
The ball valve opening/closing body 17 is moved in the water supply direction via the second ball valve 15 by the urging force of the spring 16 or the water supply pressure, and the iron body 5 is moved as shown in FIG. 1(b).
When placed on the ironing stand 6, the iron is configured to move in the opposite direction to the water supply direction. Further, on the downstream side of the water supply passage block 13 in the water supply direction, the ball valve opening/closing body 1 is provided.
A holding plate 18 is provided to limit the sliding distance in the water supply direction so that the iron stand 7 does not fall to the outside of the iron stand 6, and to support the iron stand 7 so that it can smoothly slide back and forth. Reference numeral 19 denotes a seal gasket for preventing water from leaking from the water channel connection part when the iron body 5 is placed on the iron stand 6 and water is supplied, and is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is connected to the water inlet 8. It is designed to maintain airtightness.

The waterway connection structure shown in Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2 as 2.
It is provided at the part indicated by point #, $1120.

Next, the operation of the configuration of this embodiment will be explained. When the iron main body 5 is placed on the ironing stand 6 during the ironing process, the waterway connection part is as shown in FIG.
) changes to the state shown in FIG. 3(b). At this time, as the iron body 5 is placed, the water inlet 8 pushes the ball valve opening/closing body 17 into the ball valve opening/closing body 1.
7 slides backwards (in the opposite direction to the water supply direction) and the second spring 1
6 is pushed in, a gap is formed between the water supply passage block 13 and the second ball valve 15, and the water supply passage on the iron stand side is opened. . When water supply starts in this state, the first ball valve 11 on the iron body 5 side is also pushed in by the water pressure, forming a gap between the water inlet 8 and the first ball valve 11, and the water supply path is completely opened. As a result, water can be supplied to the iron main body 5.

Furthermore, when the iron main body 5 is removed from the iron stand 6 for ironing, the force to press the ball valve opening/closing body 17 backward is lost as shown in FIG. It is pushed back forward (in the water supply direction) via the second ball valve 15 by the second spring 16 or water pressure. Then, the second ball valve 15 engages with the inner wall of the water supply passage block 13, and the water supply passage is closed. At the same time, water pressure is no longer applied to the first ball valve 11 on the iron body 5 side, so the water inlet 8 is closed by the urging force of the first spring 12, and the water supply path is also closed on the iron body 5 side, causing water to flow back. No leaks occur.

In addition, the seal effect of the seal pad 19 and the timing of opening and closing of the second ball 15 are as follows: When placing the iron body 5 on the iron stand 6, push the iron body 5 a little, and the water inlet 8 and the seal pad 1 will open and close.
9, a completely sealed state is achieved, and then when the iron body 5 is further pushed in a predetermined distance, the water inlet 8 hits the ball valve opening/closing body 17 for the first time, and the ball valve opening/closing body 1
7 begins to slide and pushes in the second ball valve 15 to open it. Conversely, when removing the iron body 5 from the iron stand 6, the process is reversed, and when the iron body 5 is first pushed out a predetermined distance, the second ball valve 15 engages with the inner wall of the water supply passage block 13 and is completely removed. close. When the iron body 5 is further pushed out, the water inlet 8 and the seal gasket 19 are separated and the sealing effect is lost.As a result, the sealed state is always maintained while water is being supplied. This means that water will never leak, not only when water is being supplied, but also when the iron body 5 is placed on or removed from the iron stand 6.

Next, a second embodiment will be described based on FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, 21 is a sliding body, and the ball valve opening/closing body 1
It has a structure that allows it to freely slide back and forth within the water supply path. A first ball valve holding pin 21a is provided in a part of this sliding body 21, and serves to push out the first ball valve 11. 21b is a sliding body water supply passage opened in the water supply direction, through which the supplied water passes.

With this configuration, when the water supply operation is being performed, the first ball valve 11 receives water pressure from the upstream side surface of the sliding body 21 and the first splash, as shown in FIG. 3(b). 1
It moves in the water supply direction against the urging force of step 2. Then, a gap is formed between the water inlet 8 and the first ball valve 11, and the water supply path is opened. On the other hand, when the water supply is stopped, the water pressure disappears, so it is pushed back by the first spring 12 and fits into the ball valve opening/closing body 17, and at the same time, the water inlet 8 is closed by the first ball valve 11.

By providing the sliding body 21, the first ball valve 11 can be stably opened even when there is pulsation in the water supply or when the water pressure is low. The figure also shows the sliding body water supply passage 21b.
Although shown as a substantially cylindrical shape, it can also be shaped as a substantially truncated cone (the diameter is larger on the upstream side of the water supply), and water pressure can be used more effectively.

Next, a third embodiment will be explained based on FIG. 5.

In FIG. 5, a ring body 22 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is provided at a portion of the ball valve opening/closing body 17 that is in contact with the water inlet 8.

By providing this ring body 22, when the iron body 5 is placed on the iron stand 6, the water inlet 8 is connected to the ring body 2.
2 to form a sealing effect, and can prevent water from leaking from the water channel connecting portion 20 during water supply.

Note that by providing the ring body 22, the seal packing 19 can be omitted, but by providing both the ring body 22 and the seal packing 19, a double sealing effect is brought about and water leakage from the waterway connecting portion 20 is reliably prevented. It can also be prevented.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be explained based on FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, 23 is a drainage passage provided in the water supply passage block 13, and only when the ball valve opening/closing body 17 slides and the iron body 5 is placed on the ironing stand 6, the outer wall of the ball valve opening/closing body 17 is opened. This drainage passage 23 is opened at a position blocked by the inner wall of the water supply passage block 13, and is opened when the iron main body 5 is removed from the iron stand 6.

24 is a drainage flange connected to the drainage passage 23, and 25 is a drainage nozzle attached to the drainage flange 24.

With this configuration, the iron body 5 is connected to the iron stand 6.
When the ball valve opening/closing body 17 is placed in the water supply direction, the ball valve opening/closing body 17 slides in the opposite direction to the water supply direction and the drainage passage 23 is closed, so that even if water is supplied, water does not flow out to the drainage passage. On the other hand, when the iron main body 5 is removed from the iron stand 6, the ball valve opening/closing body 17 slides in the water supply direction, and the water supply passage 23 is opened, so that the water supply passage 23 is connected downstream of the second ball valve 15 at the water passage connection part 20 on the iron stand 6 side. A small amount of water accumulated in the drain passage 23 is drained from a drain nozzle 25 to a large water tank (not shown) or the like.

Next, a fifth embodiment will be explained based on FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows that by providing a drainage mechanism 6d in the water supply drive unit 6b,
In order to prevent a small amount of water that has accumulated downstream of the second ball valve 15 at the water conduit connection part 20 of the six ironing stands from spilling out of the iron stand 6, the water in the water conduit connection part 20 of the six ironing stands is removed. This indicates a drainage method in which water is forcibly drained in the opposite direction to the water supply.

Considering the water supply drive unit 6b using a pump as an example,
As a drainage mechanism, it is not necessary to replace the water supply route with a pump such as a vane pump (but by using a pump that can easily reverse the water supply direction, the water supply direction can be reversed at the timing when the iron body 5 is removed from the iron stand 6). When this is done, the second ball valve 15 is opened by water pressure, and the water in the water channel connection part 20 on the side of the ironing stand 6 can be forcibly drained in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides a first ball valve that is biased in the opposite direction to the water supply direction on the iron body, and a second ball that is biased in the same direction as the water supply direction on the iron stand side. By having a configuration that includes a valve and a ball valve opening/closing body, the water supply channel can be opened and closed easily and reliably without using an electric drive source. It is an automatic water supply type that is very easy to use, allowing the user to send enough water to the iron body for ironing without having to perform any special operations when temporarily placing it on the stand. This is what we can offer you with a cordless steam iron.

Furthermore, the present invention is designed to prevent water leakage from the waterway connection part during water supply, and has a structure in which the waterway is always completely sealed by the water inlet and the seal packing while the second ball valve is open. For example, even if the user slowly removes the iron body while water is being supplied, the second ball valve closes first, completely blocking the waterway, and then the seal is removed, so water will not drain from the waterway connection. It is safe and will not leak or gush. Conversely, if the iron body is placed so shallowly that the seal is insufficient for some reason, the water inlet will not press the ball valve opening/closing body, so the second ball valve will not open and the water will not be supplied. However, the waterway remains blocked, so safety measures are being taken to ensure that there is no water supply and no water leaks occur.

In addition, by configuring the ball valve opening/closing body to include a sliding body that can freely slide back and forth along the water supply channel, the first ball valve opens stably by effectively utilizing water pressure when water is supplied. This is to make it easier. This makes it possible to reduce water supply resistance at the waterway connection. As a result, the amount of water supplied can be increased, so the seven hours required for water supply can be shortened, and the usability can be further improved.

Furthermore, by providing a ring body made of an elastic material in the part of the ball valve opening/closing body that comes into contact with the iron body, it is possible to perform a double seal with the seal gasket. This reduces the possibility of water leaking from the connection parts, allowing users to use it with confidence for many years. In addition, wear of the water inlet and the ball valve opening/closing body can also be reduced.

Furthermore, by providing a drainage passage, a small amount of water that has accumulated downstream of the second ball valve at the water conduit connection part on the iron stand side spills out to the outside of the iron stand while the iron body is being removed from the iron stand. This can greatly improve the marketability of an automatic water supply type cordless steam iron.

Furthermore, by providing a drainage mechanism in the water supply drive unit, forced drainage can be easily and reliably carried out without providing the above-mentioned drainage passage or the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1a and b are longitudinal sectional views showing the state of the waterway connection structure of a cordless steam iron, respectively, showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the iron, and Figure 3. is an external perspective view of the ball valve opening/closing body, FIG. 4a,
5b is an external perspective view of the sliding body and a vertical sectional view of the waterway connection structure of the second embodiment, respectively, and FIGS. 5a and 5b are respectively a longitudinal sectional view of the ring body and the waterway connection structure of the third embodiment. A longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the waterway connection structure of the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the drainage structure of the fifth embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a side view showing an example of a conventional automatic water supply iron for business use. 5... Iron body, 6... Ironing stand, 8
...Water inlet, 11...First ball valve, 12...
First spring, 13... Water supply passage block, 15...
2nd ball valve, 16... 2nd spring, 17... ball valve opening/closing body, 21... sliding body, 22... ring body, 23... drainage passage. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and one other person i-Tank So! Te

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) Consists of an iron body and an iron stand that has a built-in water supply drive unit for the iron body and is used as a stand for the iron body, and a water inlet on the side of the iron body where the water line connects the two, and a water supply direction. A first ball valve is provided which is biased by a first spring in the opposite direction to the water supply direction, and a water supply passage block is provided on the iron stand side, and a water supply passage block which is biased by a second spring in the same direction as the water supply direction is provided inside the block. A second ball valve is provided, and a ball valve opening/closing body that can slide back and forth a predetermined distance along the water supply path is provided in the water supply passage block located between the first and second ball valves. When the iron main body is removed from the iron stand, this ball valve opening/closing body slides in the same direction as the water supply direction via the second ball valve by the biasing force of the second spring or water pressure, and opens the water supply path. When the iron body is placed on the iron stand, the iron body is slid a predetermined distance in the opposite direction to the water supply direction by the iron body's own weight or the force of the operator placing the iron body on the iron stand, and the A cordless steam iron configured such that a second ball valve can be opened. (2) A sliding body that can freely slide back and forth along the water supply path inside the ball valve opening/closing body, and is pushed forward by water pressure during water supply to assist the first ball valve in opening. The cordless steam iron according to claim 1, further comprising: (3) Claim 1, wherein a ring body made of an elastic material is provided at a portion of the ball valve opening/closing body that contacts the water inlet of the iron body.
Cordless steam iron as described. (4) On the inner wall of the water supply passage block on which the ball valve opening/closing body slides, a drainage passage led to the outside of the water supply passage block from a position that is blocked by the outer wall of the ball valve opening/closing body only when the iron body is placed on the iron stand. The cordless steam iron according to claim 1, further comprising: (5) The cordless steam iron according to claim 1, wherein a drainage mechanism is provided in the water supply drive section of the ironing stand, and forcibly drains water accumulated in the water channel connection section on the ironing stand side.